Fat Guys A Threat To National Security, Say Retired Generals

8:42 am EST May 1st, 2010 | National Security | 13 Comments

Fat Albert

Oh crap, are they gonna send me to Gitmo?

Rising rates of obesity among young Americans could undermine the future of the US military, two retired generals have warned.

More than a quarter of young Americans are now too fat to fight, they said.

Writing in the Washington Post, the ex-commanders said the fat crisis ruled out more potential military service recruits than any other medical factor.

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13 Responses to “Fat Guys A Threat To National Security, Say Retired Generals”

  1. anotherbozo says:
    May 1, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Worst scenario: eligible young men too overweight for army; army drastically downsized; U.S. forced to give up its empire and devotes its treasure to domestic welfare! We become like Canada.

    Health risks, sure, but there IS a bright side!

  2. ItchyBrother says:
    May 1, 2010 at 12:42 pm

    This national defense argument is for those who can’t understand any other. Like how Eisenhower sold the Interstate Highway System to conservatives, not for commerce but for military logistics.

    I read once that a big reason recruits flunked their physicals in WWII was malnutrition. After the Great Depression, many of them had rickets, scurvy, etc., or lacked the minimum number of teeth.

  3. Indeed says:
    May 1, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    On the other hand, if some enemy of the U.S. challenges us to a game of Buck-Buck, we’re gonna kick their ass!

  4. Quaker in a Basement says:
    May 1, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    Bwah!

    You just outed yourself for an old geezer, Indeed. You have to be old to remember that bit.

  5. durablend says:
    May 1, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    So the army is gonna have MPs stationed outside fast food joints to “reeducated” possibly misguided youth?

    “You sure yer gunna eat that burger, son? Some brown person in Eye-rack is gunnin fer you right now, fatty!”

  6. Rheinhard says:
    May 1, 2010 at 4:33 pm

    I just called my 73 year old dad to ask what the hell that is…

  7. merl says:
    May 1, 2010 at 5:16 pm

    I had to google buck buck.

  8. Indeed says:
    May 1, 2010 at 6:13 pm

    What was that?! A mosquito??!!

  9. Jody says:
    May 1, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    I came in here to make a snarky comment about corn syrup, but instead I am forced to jump to the defense of fellow geezer Indeed.

    Go watch some of those old Bill Cosby routines and learn what REAL comedy is, ya damn kids.

  10. Repack Rider says:
    May 1, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    Fat guys do not have much fun in basic training.

    Just sayin’.

  11. Indeed says:
    May 1, 2010 at 10:03 pm

    A piece of paper! Somebody threw a piece of paper on top of me!

  12. Oliver Willis says:
    May 2, 2010 at 8:26 am

    I know buck-buck, and I’m just 32, so…

  13. Dkelsmith says:
    May 2, 2010 at 10:20 am

    Lots of additional health concerns for big people in the military. When they are young going through boot camp they are the ones that have shin splints, knee problems, and back problems because of the weight and the fact that they are not used to high stress exercise. Not sure about a “threat” to National Security, but kids in general need to unplug from XBOX, push back from the Mac and go outside.